Fuses

The term “fuse” is used to describe everything from a common blade fuse that controls electrical equipment in an automobile to a 30-amp plug fuse found in older electrical panels. Their original purpose remains the same regardless however: a fuse protects the wiring and/or electrical system from damage. The idea behind the fuse is that, when a problem occurs somewhere in the wiring or panelboard, the fuse will blow out and stop the system from working until someone finds the true problem.

Fuses have come a long way over the years and now provide features other than the original purpose. Some types of fuses have LED technology to indicate that the fuse has blown. Others are manufactured with branch circuit protection.

In automobiles, fuses often simply wear out and must be replaced. A broken fuse doesn’t actually indicate that there is a serious problem in the car’s electrical system, though this may be true. If the same fuse continually blows out, then it should be checked by a mechanic. Ordinarily, simply replacing the burnt out fuse will get things working again.

In older residential breaker boxes, fuses sometimes burn out due to power overloads or surges. This type of breaker box is not being used anymore but many older homes still have them. In modern breaker boxes, one of the
breakers is tripped when something goes wrong with an electrical circuit.

Most electrical boxes have two columns of breakers that are numbered left to right. This system is universal and used by most manufacturers to make it easier for electricians to repair and upgrade an electrical system.

You can easily look down the row of switches and see which one has been tripped. Normally, simply turning it back on will get things working again. Of course, if the same circuit breaker continually gives you trouble, this indicates a deeper issue that should be investigated by a licensed electrician.

Fuses very simply, protect the wiring in electrical circuits. They are commonly used in older breaker boxes, automobiles, marine equipment and AC & DC electrical systems.

In a panel box, various phases (A, B, or C) allow 2 and 3 pole common-trip breakers to contain one pole on each phase. Large permanently installed equipment is often wired line-to-line in North America. Fuses for electrical panel boxes are available in common sizes like 15-amp, 20-amp, 30-amp, 60-amp and others.